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Thursday, June 6, 2013

Treasure Chest Thursday – An Enduring Birthday Gift

When
my paternal grandmother turned 90 [1998] our family had a cookout at beautiful Clermont
State Park on the Hudson River, organized by Roy & Nicky Brown. The day was
cool and cloudy but the rain that threatened held off. We moved picnic tables together and spread out our food. Younger cousins ran around the trees and
rolled down the hills. Small groups walked the trails.

Larry & Babs Brown sign the Birthday Quilt

I
brought along a gift for my grandmother. I had sewn the top for a lap quilt for
Grandma. It was intentionally unquilted. It was a signature quilt & first
needed to be signed by the family. I draped it across a picnic table and asked
everyone to sing their names and a birthday message. I had brought along
special fabric markers. I got about 25 signatures. Some people had fun and
wrote funny notes.

Grandma
was not able to join us at the park that day. After we had our meals we packed
up the left overs, all the children and the cake. We drove over to the nursing
home where all 90 candles on the cake were lit and we sang Happy Birthday. I
asked Grandma the secret of living to 90 years of age. She said, “Don’t pay
attention to the years.”

Close up of Signatures

After
the party I finished the quilt and gave it to my grandmother. The colors were
bright enough for her poor eyesight. The quilt and the love in the messages
kept her warm. After her death the quilt was returned to me. Some of those who
signed the quilt have died. Children who signed with unsteady hands have grown
up and some have children of their own. The quilt is a wonderful snapshot of
the day, showing who we were on that wonderful day.

Ivy (Mark) Brown with four of her children, enjoying birthday cake

My
paternal grandmother would be 105 years old on June 8 if she were still with us.

4 comments:

What a good day to post your treasure since her birthday is almost here. The messages are so cute and so typical of family. My sister always likes to refer to herself as "the pretty one" but I'm "the smart one." HA!

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Genealogy, research & my family's history are the focus of this blog. Read about my latest adventures in uncovering more about our ancestors. Contact me to share & compare! Colleencgbp [at] nycap.rr.com

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